This invention relates to a disposable diaper adapted to absorb and retain bodily discharges.
Japanese Patent Application No. 1999-99165A discloses a disposable diaper comprising a pants member composed of front and rear waist regions between which a crotch region lies wherein transversely opposite side edge portions of these waist regions are overlaid and joined together to define a waist-hole and a pair of leg-holes, and a body fluid absorbent pad lying inside the pants so as to be centered on the crotch region and to extend into the front and rear waist regions. The pad comprises a liquid-pervious topsheet, a liquid-impervious backsheet and a liquid-absorbent core disposed between these two sheets. The pad lies just above the crotch region and is connected to a pair of belt-like elastic suspender members extending on the front and rear waist regions in a circumferential direction of the waist. These suspender members are connected under extension in the circumferential direction of the waist to the pants member.
In this diaper of prior art, front and rear ends of the pad are joined to the suspender members in circumferentially middle zones of these suspender members. This diaper allows a size of the pad to be minimized and, in addition, is effective to prevent the pants member and the pad from coming in close contact with a wearer's skin over a large area so as to avoid the wearer to suffer from stuffiness.
With the diaper disclosed in the above-cited Application, an intermediate portion of each suspender member extending between its transversely opposite ends is not joined to the pants member, so that this portion of the suspender member is normally free to be spaced from the pants member. Such arrangement may cause the wearer's leg(s) to be caught by the intermediate portion(s) or to be inserted into a space between the pants member and the intermediate portion(s) when it is desired to put the diaper on the wearer's body. In consequence, unexpected time and labor may be taken to wear the diaper.